Swordfights and Bad Dreams
by stepintomyworld
Summary: first part is Caskett fluff. Second part, Beckett shows very motherly qualities when Cara has a nightmare. Part 4.


Swordfights and Bad Dreams

Beckett stepped out of the elevator to the sound of crashing metal, as she walked toward the Castles' apartment she could her Cara yell at the top of her lung. "You will never catch me Sherriff, for my name isn't Robin Hood."

"Why Robin Hood, I will gladly see you hang for the trouble you have caused me and my men!" Alexis yelled back. Then the thumping of running feet paraded up the stairs as Castle opened the door.

"Kate!"And with a smile he brought her in to a kiss and pulled her inside. She smiled back as she hears her niece come running down the stairs, and stop promptly in the middle of the staircase. "Kate! Gross do you have to that in plain sight!" Cara pulled a face as both adult laughed at her and themselves then Castle looked up to Cara and said "Do you really think that's gross?" Cara surged "then watch this!" and in one swift moment, dipped Beckett in a long romantic kiss, Cara just giggled and ran up stairs calling "Hey Alexis, told you I could get them to do the dip!" Castle raised Beckett back to her feat. Her cheeks were red and her mouth was set in a wide smile. Martha came into the room just as they started to kiss again. "Rick Castle, did you let that mutt into my room again? It torn my best dress" at that moment a golden retriever puppy ran past the three and up the stairs. Castle and Beckett just laughed. Castle, Beckett and Martha walk in to the living room as the puppy ran back down the stairs and toward the three of them, hiding behind Beckett as he reached them. Castle saw that in the puppy's mouth was one of the girl fencing swords, it had the grip of the hilt in it mouth and had dragged it all the way down the stairs, just as Castle picked up the puppy and the sword the two girls ran down the stairs. Alexis came first then Cara, "Hey Dad, have you seen..." stop when she saw the puppy in his hands "Derek." Castle handed the sword over to his daughter and Derek to Cara. Derek struggled in her arm trying to break free till his finally gave up after Cara click his leash on his collar.

The two Beckett girls and dog began making the trip home in the car, Cara and Derek in the back seat. The girl then began to talk.

"So umm... Mum and Dad anniversary is coming up I was wondering if we could go to Chicago and visit their graves. Can we?"

Beckett thought about it for a few minutes, and then turned to Cara as the car stopped in front of their apartment building and said with a weak smile "I filed for vacation time two week ago. And we are staying at the house, if that ok with you, and then we can pick up the last of your things."

Cara flung herself onto Kate with a huge hug. "Thank you Kate." came out of her mouth in a small whisper. They just stayed there for a few seconds. Then pulled apart as Derek began scratching at the door. Cara got out with Derek and walked the puppy up the stairs. Kate stayed in the car just for a few minutes just composing herself. This trip to Chicago would be the first time she saw her brother and sister-in-law's graves. She pushed that thought to the back of her mind and got out of the car, locked it then walked up the stairs to the apartment.

That night seem peaceful to Beckett as she walked though the kitchen at two o'clock in the morning she had been having trouble sleeping for some unknown and had decided to get a drink. That when she heard it. Cara screaming. Beckett raced to Cara's room flung open the door to see her niece violently tossing and turning. Her sheets were in a tangle around her body and she was nearing the edge of her bed. Beckett moved quickly to the side of the bed just in time to catch Cara before she rolled off the edge. Cara woke with a shock pushing herself straight up from the mattress she turned to see Beckett sitting in the arm chair next to her bed reading a book. Kate looked up from her book and towards Cara. Her face was an off-white and her breathing was slow like she was counting her breath. Kate just sat on the edge of the bed and mindlessly Cara put her head is Beckett's lap. For a few minutes Kate sat there stroking Cara hair. Cara shifted ever so slightly.

"Kate could you do so this for me?"

"Yeah sure what is it?"

"Could you umm... Sing the lullaby please."

Kate froze the lullaby was a song her own mother had taught her and she use to sing to Cara when she was little. "I'll try but I don't remember most of the words." Cara moved back under the covers and Kate moved to closer to the end of the bed. She fixed up the sheets as she began singing.

_As the sun says goodnight_

_The animals go to sleep_

_The owls in the tree_

_And the foxes in the ground_

_Sleep to the lullaby of the wind_

_Her song sings though the forest_

_Whisper to all who sleep_

'_The sun is down and the moon will rise_

_And it's time to go to sleep.'_

Cara eye fluttered shut as she began to sleep again. Beckett took the opportunity to tuck  
Cara in and go back to her own bed. Tomorrow would be a new day and she believed she could handle anything. As long as she had Cara and Castle.


End file.
